Desert Wind
Desert Wind was the name given to a microbe and the mild airborne infection it caused. Both were endemic to the rural deserts of Po-Powai on Powai Nui and exclusively afflicted Matoran and related species. History Desert Wind was likely created by one of the Makuta using viruses and liquid Protodermis during the early days of the Matoran Universe. For unknown reasons, the microbes were not spread around the Matoran Universe but instead settled exclusively on Powai Nui in the western chain of the Southern Islands. On Powai Nui, Desert Wind became widespread, due both to its high contagiousness and strikingly low fatality rate. It was among the first diseases to be recognized by the island's early Matoran tribes and, despite primitive medical equipment and practices, was not a significant threat, and was seen more as a nuisance than anything particularly dangerous. Some tribes, particularly those composed of belligerent Ta-Matoran, attempted to weaponize it by harvesting the cocoons that contained it and sneaking them into the villages of opposing tribes. This practice proved to be ineffective, however, especially outside of the island's desert regions. After the formation of the Powai Nui Governing Coalition, Ko-Powai saw a period of rapid scientific and technological development. One of the results of this period was Serpex, a substance invented by a Ko-Matoran of the same name which could cure a myriad of illnesses, disease, and parasitic infections which were common on the island. Desert Wind was among the first Powai Nuian diseases to be assailed by the widespread use of Serpex, and numerous strains of it were eradicated. Those strains that survived began to develop resistance to Serpex, allowing them to persist through the onslaught. However, due to the properties of the microbe, those that were resistant to the substance also became less infectious. Eventually, due to random chance mutations, strains that had been wiped out by Serpex began to reappear, which were much more infectious than before. With the Powai Nuians' recent advancements in medical technology and treatment, however, they did not prove much more of a threat than their ancestors had. These more infectious strains were repeatedly wiped out by Serpex and brought back by resistant strains, resulting in what was essentially a deadlock in the war between the disease and the island's inhabitants. Description Physiology Desert Wind was colonial and would group up to burrow into the sand and form small habitats known as cocoons. Cocoons were pustule-like formations made of sand stuck together with adhesive compounds and were generally an inch or less in diameter. They were designed to release copious amounts of microbes when broken and were usually broken by being stepped on by travelers. The microbes were able to survive in the air away from nutrients by forming a protective endospore and slowing down its life processes. Due to a flaw in its design, these endospores could be prematurely opened by contact with a large enough amount of water. Because of this, they rarely survived in humid or rainy environments. Those microbes that did survive being airborne could infect Matoran through inhalation. Symptoms Once inside a Matoran's lungs, Desert Wind would begin to release adhesive compounds to create a smaller cocoon and expelling water out their new abode. This irritation caused coughing, as the Matoran's rudimentary immune system attempted to expel the invader out of the lungs. Coughing for long enough could cause these adhesives to be ejected into the throat, where they would stick to it and congest it. While these symptoms could become severe, the infection would usually be fought off before they could progress to such a point. Prognosis Desert Wind was naturally not a fatal disease and killed far less than 1 percent of all of its hosts. All recorded cases of death while infected with it were due to other causes in conjunction with the disease, and as such the number of fatalities it has caused has always been disputed. A Matoran's immune system could usually invade the Desert Wind's domain and destroy it within 1-3 weeks; if not, coughing would expel it. Spread Due to the properties of its endospores, Desert Wind was incredibly rare in humid environments and was most common in Powai Nui's hot and dry climates, namely Po-Powai. This attribute, along with its symptoms, was the inspiration for its name. Because of its high infectiousness and ability to recreate more infectious strains after they were wiped out, it was the single most widespread disease on Powai Nui. Appearances To be written... Trivia * Desert Wind took much of its inspiration from Valley fever, a fungal disease endemic to the southwest United States and northern Mexico. Like Desert Wind, Valley fever resides in desert soil and may be contracted if the soil it inhabits is disturbed. Other aspects of it were based on the common cold. Category:Diseases Category:Powai Nui